For me devotion has saved my life, it has brought me closer to understanding the love and power that exists within me and all beings. It has brought me into a place of peace, humility and deep service in Birthing my Mission and calling in the world.

In this week’s video I offer you a definition and four simple steps you can take to go deeper into your path of devotion in order to birth your Mission and Movement in the world.

In any given day on this trip there is so much experience, angst, love, devotion, heartbreak, serendipitous grace.

It is often said that India is the land of paradox, and if you make up your mind that “India is….” it’s exact opposite will be also be true. This is my experience here, on any given day there are moments that my heart expands and breaks, expands and breaks…

I left my ancestral state of Gujarat and got to spend the last couple days with my dad who was visiting. It was special to connect with him in the place he grew up and help his movement to uplift the village. He’s a great man. I will carry the memories, the students, the AMAZING WOMEN, my grandmother’s spirit, family, neighbors, healing, MA with me and through me until I return again soon.

I wanted to share some photos of the wonderful memories. I had an opportunity to address the community the last day and spoke especially to the women. I brought back the messages of Gandhi who came from the same state and who’s legacy of India’s independence we were celebrating. [Read more...]

Wow, Deep Breath. This has been a very powerful week for me, as I have come back to my ancestral home in India to go deeper into healing and birthing my mission and movement in the world.

Everything has been very raw and potent for me and even creating this week’s video was no easy task!

I welcome you watch it, as I speak about how important it is to heal and draw strength from your ancestral line in order to birth your BIG mission and movement.

Because here’s the thing, it is likely that whatever it is you are meant to birth and change in the world is directly connected to that which you are meant to heal most deeply within yourself, and therefore in your ancestry.

I visited the nursery that was founded by the trust my father started. The nursery functions as the pre-school to begin to prepare the children for primary school, and is primarily serving the poorer children of the community.

I also had another EXCITING meeting with the women leaders of the community. I feel so much energy from them. Having me come and talk about the rising of women all over the world, and offer a wider, outside perspective, has been able to infuse new energy in their work here. What came out of the meeting was a commitment of the current leaders to step up more and begin to collaborate on starting a women’s project that will be housed in the new high school. I’ve committed that I will also help to do research on possibilities, continue to stay involved and visit at least twice a year. We ended with a sister song of solidarity as the journey continues!… ♥

I’ve been meeting with the women in the village. I’ve been here only a couple days and already I have been told about two women who were killed in the community, one by her husband and the other by her in-laws. I’m sure there are many more cases.

This is very common here in India, unfortunately, and still a shock to experience it first hand. I’m still understanding everything, but for sure domestic violence has come up a number of times. Husbands drink and the beat their wives. I am told it’s more predominant in the poorer castes here, where the women are also working in the nearby factories and are shouldering a huge part of the family duties. Because the women are working, they can’t be at home to make sure the children go to school and so many children are still not going to school, and so the cycle repeats. However, I am also told that domestic abuse is rampant in all castes and know that it sure was in my direct lineage as well.

This being said, I have been so touched by all the meetings I have had with women. Basically, there are about 10 women’s savings groups that have been set up through the trust my father started. Women come together to pool money together and then one woman will take out the money to use it for a specific purpose, usually a wedding or some household repair. I have been meeting with the leaders to see how perhaps the work can expand and through this have become aware of the levels of violence in the community. The leaders are so strong and beautiful and dynamic. I have more insight into my own fabric, though obviously born into very different circumstances. So, I’m staying open to where the energy may lead… Jai MA!

Her name is Moreshwari. She’s an aspect of the Goddess Durga. I recently visited her temple here in Gujarat. She is what’s called the KulDevi of my ancestry on my mom’s side. Kul means ‘ancestry’ and Devi means ‘Goddess,’ so she’s the Ancestral Goddess of the lineage.

In India, most communities will have a KulDevi that they have worshiped for hundreds, maybe thousands of years. She’s like the Mother Goddess of the family.

On my father’s side the KulDevi is AmbaJi, also an aspect of Durga and the KulDev (male ancestral god) is Shiva. All of these are fierce Gods and Goddeses. It’s so fascinating for me to be learning this about my family now, as I have been drawn into devotion to the fierce Goddesses over the past year.